Over-the-counter hearing aids could be coming

THE IMPACT: An estimated 30 million Americans have hearing loss, but just 14 percent of them have hearing aids.

Gerry Tuoti Wicked Local Newsbank Editor

Walk into any drug store and you’ll see a rack of cheap reading glasses available to buy without a prescription.

While an over-the-counter product is an option for some living with farsightedness, there is no approved inexpensive over-the-counter equivalent for those living with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Prescription hearing aids, which cost an average of $2,400 for one device, are not covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. Some plans consider hearing aids elective. The result, according to some consumer advocates and lawmakers, is that many people with hearing loss go without hearing aids because they cannot afford the devices.

“We get inquiries every day from people who cannot afford hearing aids,” said Nancy Macklin, a spokeswoman for the Hearing Loss Association of America.

The National Institutes of Health estimates about 30 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears. According to a 2016 study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, just 14 percent of those with hearing loss use a hearing aid.

While there are several types of less expensive non-prescription PSAPs, or “personal sound amplification devices,” on the market, the devices are not regulated by any government entity for safety or quality standards and are intended for use by people with normal hearing who want to amplify distant sounds. Most types cost less than $350.

The situation could change under pending legislation in Congress. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, both Massachusetts Democrats, introduced legislation that would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to create regulations for a new category of hearing aids that could be sold over the counter and online, without a prescription.

Some remain skeptical of the idea. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association opposes the legislation on grounds that it puts the public’s health at risk. The association’s position is that hearing aids sold over-the-counter should be restricted so that they’re only useful to people with mild hearing loss.

“Some could unwittingly damage their hearing further by over-amplifying; others could do the opposite—under-amplify and grow frustrated by the failure to experience relief, resulting in the conclusion that their situation is hopeless and give up seeking additional professional help,” ASHA president Gail Richard said in a statement.

Kennedy is hopeful the bill will pass the House, then move to the Senate. He credits Warren with bringing the issue to his attention.

“Allowing hearing aids to be sold over the counter will help bring down costs and expand consumer choices so that millions more Americans can find affordable hearing aids,” Warren said in a statement. "This bill will loosen up outdated regulations and, with the right protections in place, let the market bring great products to Massachusetts residents at far lower costs.”